Regardless of your political ideas and loyalties, I believe we can all agree that the world is a mess right now. War and the threat of new wars are a daily reality. Mud-slinging goes back and forth between our politicians while important issues that they should be finding solutions to go unresolved and forgotten until the next election cycle. The soaring cost of buying a home or even purchasing groceries shows no sign of significant improvement. Anxiety and stress levels are high, causing many both inside and outside of the church to feel hopeless.
And yet, we have hope! Although there is quite a bit of reading material from the Bible today, I’m going to focus on just one verse that can bring all of us hope. In the NASB 1995, Isaiah 2:4 says:
“And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nations, And never again will they learn war.”
Imagine living in a time and place where God is our judge. Of course, he is already in our hearts, but the nations of our world don’t worship and obey him. Even the USA, with “In God We Trust” printed on our money, documents, and buildings, does not truly and wholly worship God.
Imagine no more need to create bigger and faster weapons. In verse four, by turning weapons into plowshares and pruning hooks, they are creating tools used for growth instead of destruction. Without war or the threat of war, more creativity and time could be devoted to feeding the hungry and easing each other’s burdens. No one would fear their loved ones becoming a casualty of war or going off to fight only to return as a different person because of their experiences.
I encourage you today, as we await God’s Kingdom, to seek out ways to bring good to the damaged world we live in. Regardless of the hate and dismay, help to cultivate life and renewal for your family, church, and community. Seek peace whenever possible and spread hope far and wide.
-Lacey Dunn
Reflection:
• What are ways that you can spread the hope of God’s peace to others in your family, church, school, work, community, etc…
• Take time to imagine what life will be like in God’s Kingdom. What does it look like, smell like, and feel like?
• Are you feeling hopeless? Who is someone you can talk to who can help restore your hope?
I want to jump back to Isaiah today. Chapter 40 was actually the scheduled reading from yesterday, but it ends with some of my favorite verses – Isaiah 40:28-31
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
I don’t have much of a devotion for you, but here is my suggestion.
Read these verses again. Let the amazingness, goodness, incredibleness of God wash over you. Be in awe of Him. And lean into the reminder that those who hope in Him will have their strength renewed.
Sometimes, we read large chunks of chapters or verses, and for me at least, I fall into a traditionally schooled trained pattern of just trying to absorb information to be able to answer questions. But the wonder can pass me by when I do this.
So stop. Read this small section, and be amazed by the Creator.
~Stephanie Fletcher
Reflection Questions
Do you know that the Lord your God is the Creator of the world? What does that mean to you? What does it mean to you that He is everlasting?
What can you not fathom about the Lord God’s understanding? When has He given you strength when you were weary? How would you use His strength today? Pray for it. Thank God for it.
Where do you put your hope?
How many times can you read this passage today? Whatever number you said, can you read it 5-10 additional times beyond what you thought you could.
Every city has a story. My parents and extended family grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and most school breaks, I went to Cleveland. While some refer to it as “the mistake on the lake”, I love the city! I like the architecture and history, the cultural diversity and ethnic foods, the Westside market, being right on Lake Erie, the Metropark system, a plethora of cute donut shops putting my hometown in southern Indiana to shame, and what is still my favorite ice cream place ever, Malley’s! But, while I enjoyed visiting and genuinely liked the place, I didn’t have the memories of what it used to be like or appreciate the changes as much as those in my family who had known its previous years. It seemed like around every corner though someone had a story. My Dad’s old high school is now an apartment complex. My Mom’s old church that she went to take pictures of is….shall we say…. no longer in a neighborhood welcoming cheerful little ladies in Oldsmobiles with cameras driving slowly down the street snapping photos and pointing. Now Cleveland hasn’t been destroyed like Jerusalem was, and it is still a great city, but as a person who never saw the “olden days”, I couldn’t appreciate all of the changes in the same way. In today’s reading of Isaiah 61, I think it is important to remember that Isaiah KNEW Jerusalem. He had grown up there in its glory days, and he knew what it had been. Similar to stories of people who see their cities and countries devastated by war today, Isaiah had seen a city destroyed. When he uses phrases like verse 4 “ancient ruins” and “devastations of many generations”, he could visualize exactly what it used to be. How painful that must have been without the promise God gave him that he shared with others through his prophecy.
The Hebrew name for Jerusalem is Yerushalayim which I recently learned while attending a Bible study, is a combination of the Hebrew word “Yireh” (referencing an abiding place) and “Shalem” (meaning peace or complete). Hence….sometimes we hear “the City of Peace”. Hmm. If you haven’t heard much about Jerusalem yourself, a quick Wikipedia scan of facts doesn’t seem to cry out “city of peace” to me:
destroyed twice
besieged 23 times
attacked 52 times
captured and recaptured 44 times
And really, who could possibly keep count of the violence and destruction given – it’s one of the world’s oldest cities. But, it is also a city of current world conflict, not just the past. We see its involvement in current world events, and we can read of its historical and future significance in the Bible. In fact, Jerusalem is mentioned over 800 times in the Bible! It seems to be a place that is important to God. Eternal peace also seems to be important to Him, and while Isaiah saw the city destroyed once, Isaiah also prophesied the LORD’s message regarding a coming day of peace that we’ve read about several times this week already.
For those hearing this in Isaiah’s days (and for the next 700 years or so!) there would have been some questions. While we certainly still have our own questions today, Jesus himself takes care of explaining Isaiah 61 pretty nicely in Luke 4.
“And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. And He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 “the spirit of the lord is upon me,
because he anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
he has sent me to proclaim release to captives,
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
20 And He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all the people in the synagogue were intently directed at Him. 21 Now He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
I love to picture Jesus just unrolling the scroll written ~700 years before, skimming along to see….oh yes….this is one of the passages talking about me.
Some of Isaiah’s prophecies are already fulfilled, some are yet to achieve complete fulfillment in the New Jerusalem. But, in our generation, we have the privilege of looking back at so many already which have taken place to provide assurance and hope for the best one yet to come. We can thank God that through Jesus, we do have peace and reconciliation with Him, and one day, we will all live in true peace. Until then, may we all seek to know the word of God the way Jesus did, may we all seek to be peacemakers, and may we share the message of true peace with others in a world in desperate need.
Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation is coming;
Behold His reward is with Him, and His compensation before Him.”
12 And they will call them, “The holy people,
The redeemed of the Lord”;
And you will be called, “Sought Out, A City Not Abandoned.
1. Jerusalem isn’t alone in not always being a place of peace. Our minds can be places of war and devastation sometimes. What worried, anxious, angry, depressed, un-peaceful weights should you share with the LORD through Jesus today?
2. How does looking back over history and seeing scriptures fulfilled boost your confidence in the Bible and its message? Are there questions you have that you could ask someone in the body of Christ?
3. How can you use the hope of Isaiah’s message to find peace with God and to be a peacemaker in situations in your life?
These two chapters read together continue a familiar pattern that we have run across several times this week already in Isaiah. We see rebuking of sin and rejection of the LORD followed by compassion and a plan of reconciliation to the LORD.
Chapter 59 starts with a good reminder too that sin separates us from God not because God doesn’t hear, cannot save, or we are beyond his reach. The separation comes from us through our wrongdoings. Verse seven uses the words destruction and devastation and I can’t think of any more accurate words to describe how a life without the LORD would be. Yet, so many people in this world live this way every day.
So often, I hear Christians in difficult times say, “I can’t imagine life without God”, and that is so true of how I feel as well. Even in the worst of circumstances and turmoil, if we are reconciled to God through Jesus, aware of the hope of His eternal kingdom and plan, and trusting Him, we feel a connection and peace that sustains us. Currently I have a dear friend I have worked with for years who is in her fourth year of a faithful battle with a rare cancer, her son-in-law was tragically murdered eight years ago in a random act of violence while he was on a prayer vigil walk, leaving behind her daughter and their newborn grandchild, and now that daughter is remarried with a 3 week old baby who is currently hospitalized having constant seizures, recently diagnosed with an incredibly rare genetic mutation which will lead to increasing seizures and tremendous danger if not stopped. This diagnosis has led to one of the few specialists in the country experienced in this diagnosis doing a pediatric neurosurgery in Washington DC which will leave her newborn daughter with half of a brain, obviously creating tremendous risk and unknowns for everyone involved. And yet, my friend and her daughter, in the darkest times or the lighthearted ones, sound so much more at peace, sustained, and reasonable than those I know with the smallest of stressors who lack a relationship with God. Isaiah 59 talks about the separation, growling, gloom, moaning, of those who are separated from the LORD due to sin, even “like the dead” verse 10 tells us. A life without the LORD and without His redemption and hope is not a life worth living. My heart goes out to those living that way at this moment, and my heart is sustained by Isaiah 59:21 and Isaiah 60 because it is not the way God has left us to live.
Thankfully, where Isaiah 59:16 mentions there was no one to intercede, we have an intercessor on our behalf now. Thankfully, where Jerusalem has seen its ups and downs and enemies from all around over the centuries, Isaiah 60 concludes with what appears to be reference to the New Jerusalem. One so bright with the glory of God we won’t need the sun or moon. One without devastation or destruction (remember Chapter 59?). One without violence. A land possessed forever. Isaiah 60:21 gives us one of my favorite promises about it too….”your people shall all be righteous“! A wonderful, sin-less, perfect, peaceful, joyful place.
1. Knowing you are never beyond God’s reach, when you are feeling separated from God, what from His word today might help you in your path of reconciliation?
2. What might help sustain you or others in your life through the difficult times as you wait for the New Jerusalem to descend in the LORD’s time?
3. What attribute of the New Jerusalem mentioned in Isaiah 60 comforts you most?
The last few chapters of Isaiah have been full of day brighteners including promises of a Messiah with an everlasting reign and abundant pardon and forgiveness. Today, we start with some well deserved reminders that the LORD does chastise the disobedient. While His mercies are great, as recipients of that, He calls us to obedience for His glory. And sometimes, direct communication is just what we need. I found it quite effective in verse 3 when my attention was caught by,
In fact, the exclamation point alone caught my eye since they aren’t nearly as common in the Bible as they are in some of my written communications!!!
Does it seem harsh? Well, umm…let’s see. These people are literally generations deep into a smorgasbord of pagan/idolatrous practices like we see in verses 5-6: worshipping false Gods through things like infant sacrifice “slaying of children” to Molech, dark caves and clefts of rock often used for pagan superstitious practices, and lusting toward tree idols as the Assyrians did. While it sounds so foreign and wrong, it doesn’t take too much work to see a parallel to our contemporary society. We are a nation full of pagan practices, and while hanging out in dark caves might not be our thing, we are entrenched in ungodly customs and superstitions that are so infiltrated we don’t even always recognize them. Slaying of children brings one practice to mind against which thankfully some states like my own in Indiana have put some new laws in place recently, and we are also a people truly idolizing many earthly things as Philippians 3:19 tells us.
However, as always, it seems that there is comfort to be found for the contrite and humble before God as Isaiah 57:15-16 says. And that comfort is contrasted to the never ending turmoil of the waves symbolizing the wicked. I generally think of waves as peaceful things. The type of noise people want on white noise machines, the type of view we use for meditations and/or swirling about behind worship songs on the projector screens, but the waves themselves never really do get a rest, do they? The waves are full of muck and mire. Always crashing and tossing amidst turmoil causing erosion and destruction in some cases. Makes me get motion sickness just picturing that as my lot in life. It sounds awful to be stuck as a “wave”, and in turn, worth reading this chapter of rebuke and seeking to be contrite in heart.
The next chapter of Isaiah 58 made me think of work when I noticed a few repeated words of “if” and “then”. As an occupational therapist, some of the children I work with have a variety of behavioral and developmental challenges, autism, sensory processing dysfunction, etc. A technique that works with some children struggling to make sense of information and attend to a task is a simple cue of “First this, Then this”. We have signs up in our clinic with “first” and “then” labels and pictures choices they can select, and sometimes we just use the words themselves. Many times a day I say things like “first wash hands, then play” or “first shoes, then run”. It helps kids direct attention and understand what to do next, and it works far better than most adult ramblings and attempts to verbally rationalize the request or directions. A simple directive communicated in a way they understand, and often a preferred “then” can really help some people understand the task before them. Isaiah 58 reminded me of this. We don’t need a rationalization or justification from God for his directions to us. And in this chapter, He mentions some of His “firsts”:
care for the hungry
provide shelter for the wanderer
satisfy the oppressed
stop malicious talk and arguing
stop pointing fingers
stop doing as you please!
It is really important to intentionally consider what the LORD’s firsts are sometimes because unfortunately they are in stark contrast to what the world’s noise tells us. I see no firsts commanding the American dream, “me time”, building wealth, being a busy beaver, living vacation to vacation, or “you do you”. In fact, we are flat out told the opposite. “Stop doing as you please” is simply not a cultural norm in America, so knowing that a Biblical worldview is in contrast to the worldview so prevalent around us is important.
Because THEN. . .
Then your light will rise in darkness,
And your gloom will become like midday.
“And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
“Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
Today’s Old Testament reading of Isaiah 55-56 is another encouraging message for those who reflect and return to God. Along with instructions to listen carefully, incline ears, and come to Him, we also read terms like mercy, compassion, and the phrase “abundantly pardon”. People who return to God ( a daily need it seems!) are not just scraping by in a free trial period or conditional agreement. They are abundantly pardoned. The preceding chapters told us how (and through whom) that works, and it is not through anything we do. We are unworthy, but when we seek Him, we are recipients of abundant love, provision, and pardon in ways we far too often take for granted.
Some of my favorite passages in the Bible are the ones that remind me that God’s ways are perfect, and He has a plan and understanding that is superior to mine. One example is Proverbs 16:9, and another is right here in Isaiah 55:9:
I don’t know how you feel, but I read this and I say…..thank goodness!
As I was reading along in Isaiah 55 the reference to the plants stood out to me in verse 13. I really enjoy plants….learning about them, looking at them, growing them, sometimes killing them, watching perennials spread and annuals do their thing, seeing flowers turn into fruits, milkweed attract monarchs, learning about their medicinal and nutritional uses, smelling them. Pretty much, God’s creation of plants and nature are good things for us all around! (In fact, I learned a new term at work recently from a colleague who works with me with our pediatric patients who all need more time outside it seems, and if you haven’t heard of “forest bathing”…..it’s a thing!) But, back to verse 13. I was familiar with juniper, but wanted a reminder what the myrtle plant was that was going to replace stinging nettle.
And while I learned myrtle is apparently a lovely, fragrant, evergreen shrub, I also learned that it is quite Biblically significant. It is referenced as a choice plant according to Isaiah 41 and included in Zechariah’s prophecy. Interestingly, it also pops up in the book of Esther since her Hebrew name (instead of the Persian one), Hadassah, is the feminine form of the word “hadas” or “myrtle”. Jews and Christians celebrating the Feast of Booths often use myrtle in their sukkots and celebrations. In fact, that is coming up next week so myrtle of the world is undoubtedly getting ready to make some appearances!
But, whether or not you ever see or grow myrtle, the message of a beautiful, fragrant, fertile, eternal hope God has in store for you is one to keep alive no matter what!
Isaiah 56 continues to call God’s people to a pursuit of righteousness and obedience and shares the promise with those of us who may not be biological descendants of Jacob.
-Jennifer Hall
Reflection Questions:
1. Consider the abundant, complete, and perfect pardoning you have received regardless of the gunk in your life. Have you allowed God to share that forgiveness and hope?
2. What is hard about sharing forgiveness and mercy toward others as we are called to do as followers of Jesus? How can you extend abundant pardon toward another today?
3. As you reflect on God’s ways being higher than yours, how can you better trust and rely on Him to plan your steps and make sense of this world even when you don’t get it?
Book of James Introduction
The Book of James was written by a man named James, who was probably the brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55) and the leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13). The book was written to the Jews who were scattered among the nations. These Jews were obviously persecuted based on the way James started chapter 1. These may have been Jews who were part of the Jerusalem church that were scattered after Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 8:1).
The main point of the book is to encourage the reader to actively live faithfully for God. This can be summed up by looking at a couple of verses:
James 1:21 – Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
James 1:22 – Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
James 2:17 – …faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 4:17 – Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.
Here are some interesting verses about the author:
Acts 12:17 – After Peter was rescued from prison, he told his friends to tell James and the other brothers and sisters…
Acts 15:13 – James was an important member of the council that met in Jerusalem
Acts 21:18 – Paul went to see James after Paul’s last missionary journey to give James a detailed report of his missionary journeys
1 Corinthians 15:7 – Jesus appeared to James, then to all the apostles
Galatians 1:19 – Paul went to see James on his first trip to Jerusalem after his conversion
Galatians 2:9 – Paul called James a pillar of the church
Jude 1:1 – Jude identified himself as the brother of James
As you read the book of James, consider how it applies to you: How do you react during trials? How do you treat those who are less fortunate than yourself? How do you speak? Do you resist the devil and draw near to God? Are your prayers powerful and effective?
I’ll close with James 5:20, “remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his ways will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
Today’s Old Testament reading of Isaiah 53 actually starts mid-way in the last of four “Servant Songs” from the book of Isaiah. If you didn’t read Isaiah 52 already, you might want to back up to Isaiah 52:13 since that is often considered the start of this poem.
Recently, I learned a new word at a Bible class I was attending when the teacher mentioned the variations of “pericopes” Bible publishers use. For some reason the word entertained me enough to laugh, and while I couldn’t remember the word writing this and had to look it up and laughed again saying it to myself, it just means the heading at the top of the divisions of scripture. In my Bible, the pericope for Isaiah 53 is called The Suffering Servant, giving a good clue that this is a rather serious subject.
I have been enjoying a Christian historical fiction book recently set during the time of Jesus as a Jewish family is piecing together scriptures and promises as they are hearing what is going on near their “out of town relatives in Nazareth”. I have been struck by how much of Isaiah they knew and were waiting to see fulfilled and come clear, and how much what we know of our Messiah today is woven together throughout scripture. It brings such credibility and contextual understanding to have the Old with the New Testament and Isaiah 53 is certainly one of those linking passages. From what I can see, it is directly quoted at least eight times in the New Testament in a variety of writings including Matthew, Luke, John, Romans, Acts, and I Peter. Beyond these, we also see more New Testament references to the chapter’s concept referenced indirectly.
If you are doing the New Testament readings this week wrapping up Mark as well, you will certainly see the parallel to this concept that a blameless Messiah suffered torture and humiliation as an intercessor for the sins of all. It was prophesied about hundreds of years before Jesus came into existence in the womb of Mary, and it came true, bringing credibility to the well-preserved and passed down Hebrew scriptures. We have a mediator between God and us. We don’t have to sacrifice animals, recite chants, or come up with meaningless ways to “pay back” for our sins. We can’t fix the problem. But the son of God did:
Isaiah 54 starts with shouts for joy and continues on with an encouraging message that supersedes whatever brings shame, sorrow, and feelings of abandonment. While the main character in chapter 53 was the Servant, in this chapter we are reunited with a female character mentioned earlier in Isaiah. Earlier in Isaiah this woman was abandoned by her husband and then later reunited with him. (Side note: I know someone who had this happen in real life just like Israel did!) This woman seems to be a personified “Zion”, sometimes representing the city of Jerusalem, sometimes the nation of Israel, sometimes the descendants of Abraham. Whatever the case in chapter 54….she’s getting good news! While she’s felt abandoned and forsaken for a time, she is given a lot of beautiful promises. She doesn’t need to fear weapons, enemies, or past mistakes. She is promised everlasting comfort, compassion, peace, and some pretty cool gems (like maybe the ones in the New Jerusalem?!). I couldn’t even pick a favorite verse to pull out, but here’s one I liked and I’m sure you’ll find other words of encouragement in this chapter.
“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
Our Old Testament reading today, coming from Isaiah 51 & 52 starts with a call to attention. In the first 7 verses the reader is instructed three times to “listen” or “pay attention”. In fact, depending on your version, you might even have a good old fashioned “Hearken!” Isaiah 51:1 calls those who are pursuing righteousness to listen and verse 7 speaks to those who know righteousness. I was challenged as I considered the implication that those being asked to listen were those pursuing rightousness when I consider how poorly a job I do at times pursuing God compared to pursuing everything else. Even amidst Assyrian captivity, the LORD was aware of His people and this chapter is full of comfort for them. We are showered with words like joy, gladness, thanksgiving, and justice. I even found myself humming “Therefore the Redeemed of the LORD shall return. . .” reading through this chapter. The source of comfort and hope described throughout Isaiah 51 is attributed to the LORD. It isn’t going to come from political freedom, overtaking enemies, gaining wealth, or stockpiling weapons and food. It comes from,
“. . .the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar (the Lord of armies is His name). 16 And I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to cestablish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’ ”
Thankfully, while he was speaking to the nation of Israel at that time when he said “You are my people”, today, if we are believers and followers of the promised Messiah talked about in Isaiah, we are also His people. We also have a hope of eternal security and an unshakable kingdom yet to come.
Isaiah 52 continues the message of removing the weight from the burden of sin and oppression and shares a message of liberty and redemption. Isaiah again seems to be conducive to use for song lyrics if you are familiar with “Our God Reigns” which is based on this chapter. And Chapter 52 concludes with the exalted servant Messiah imagery. The sprinkle he offers in verse 15 doesn’t come in rainbow variety as a donut or ice cream topping. It is the same word used in Leviticus 16 referencing sacrificial blood. The servant was sacrificed for our sins. And at his name, one day, every knee should bow.
“Behold, My Servant will prosper,
He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.”
In this week’s readings, I notice the parallel between the OT and NT readings. While I will focus on the Isaiah passages, if you are finishing up Mark instead, you will certainly notice the connections.
The reason I personally chose to focus on Isaiah is because comparatively to Psalms and Mark, I am far less knowledgeable, and it is always a book I want to take the time to “study more.” In addition to that, I’m enjoying a Christian historical fiction book series loaned to me by some friends that is set in Jesus’s time, but told from a Jewish family’s perspective. They have all sorts of questions about the book of Isaiah and their awaited Messiah, and as I have enjoyed seeing those connections unfold in the book, I thought I just might enjoy a deeper look at Isaiah this week myself.
Isaiah grew up during an affluent and successful time overall during the reigns of King Uzziah of Judah and King Jeroboam II of Israel. Economically and politically, things were going pretty well. In addition to being born in a prosperous time, many commentators suggest that as son of Amoz, Isaiah had access to the royal family itself and was born into a cultivated upper class. Of course, riches and power don’t last forever, particularly when nations and individuals prioritize those things over following the LORD. In fact, his call to prophesy aligned historically with the increasing threat of Assyria toward Israel. Isaiah’s name means “YHWH is salvation” and the book shares the story of salvation and redemption that transcends challenging times of collapsing kingdoms and disobedient hearts.
In today’s reading of Isaiah 49-50, we come into this book of prophecy a little over halfway through, finding ourselves amidst one of four poems sometimes referred to as “servant songs” by commentators. They are poems worth reading and are reflected in the New Testament when the Messiah comes on the scene. I enjoyed how both 49:1 and 49:5 quickly reference the LORD’s calling and forming being from the womb. I think in America, amidst the chaotic noise on this subject, it is far to0 easy to gloss over its significance. Having had the opportunity to work with children who are born prematurely, seeing God’s creation itself at an age when a child should ideally still be “in the womb” combined with the overarching message of what is fortunately still the best selling book of all time (The Bible!), it isn’t poetic “fluff” when we see the emphasis on God’s prenatal calling on His intentional creation as part of His sovereign plan.
Chapter 49’s poem includes a servant ready to restore the nation to the LORD. And not just the tribes of Jacob mentioned in verse 6, but “that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” We see a God who doesn’t forsake His people even during dark days, and Chapter 49 concludes with glory given to the LORD through that relationship. “And humanity shall know that I, the LORD, am your savior, your redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” -(Isaiah 49:26)
In Chapter 50 we see prophecy of a servant who was not rebellious, who would not be ashamed, and who trusted and relied upon the LORD. We are challenged to do the same and to obey the LORD’s Messiah, walking in light.
Such great hope in the words “Behold the LORD God helps me. Who is he who condemns me?” -Isaiah 50:9
-Jennifer Hall
Reflection Questions:
1. How have your growing up years in the United States been similar or different to Isaiah’s growing up years in a prosperous Jerusalem? How might prosperity and power affect a nation’s spiritual health?
2. Have you ever felt forsaken by the LORD or outside of his reach of forgiveness? What do the messages of these poems say about redemption and salvation?
3. How might the LORD receive glory through the plan He has had for you since before you were in the womb?
“For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other.” –Isaiah 45:18 (ESV)
Isaiah 45 begins, “Thus says the LORD…”. This is repeated in verses 11, 14, & 18. This phrase speaks of confidence and certainty; God has spoken and He only says what is true. In verses 6, 18, 21, & 22 God says, “I am the LORD, and there is no other”. In this chapter of Isaiah God speaks and He tells us how all-powerful He is and that there is none like Him.
In chapter 46, verse 5 God asks the question, “To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike? He speaks of the worthlessness of idols and then says, in verses 8-11, Remember this and stand firm… for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me… declaring the end from the beginning… My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose… I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.
There just aren’t words big enough to describe our awe of God. I checked the thesaurus: awesome, incredible, spectacular, astonishing, stunning, amazing, magnificent, wondrous, majestic. Our God, my God, your God, speaks to us and will accomplish what He says he will do. He has a purpose and He will complete it. We can rely on that without doubt. I encourage you to take some time and read some of God’s promises and bask in the fact that each one already has or will happen. You can start with Isaiah 45:22-23 “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance”
These chapters fill me with hope and confidence in our almighty God. Let me leave you with a beautiful image from Isaiah 45:8 “Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the Lord have created it.”
Amy Blanchard
Since there aren’t any words that can adequately describe God – His power, His supremeness, how absolutely we can trust him – sit for a minute (preferably longer) and feel. I know that sounds odd, but try it.
God speaking for two chapters on how He is the greatest and only perfect One and how He WILL succeed gives me chills. I like action movies – you know, the ones where the good guys win (American movies). There is always a specific moment, whether it’s a line, a visual cue, or the background music changes when you know “it’s done”, the good guys are going to win. Picture the “cavalry coming over the hill” scene in so many movies. One is in Avengers: Endgame (spoiler alert). Just when Captain America is about to be defeated and overtaken by a huge army The Avengers assemble. They rescue him and save the world. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pFUP0HZwWM) When these scenes happen, you feel something – relief, power, joy. What do you feel when you read some of the passages from today’s chapters in Isaiah? (And just for fun – what are some of the differences between the Avengers scene and this passage in Isaiah?)
God created all of our emotions. Thank Him for them. What are you feeling today?
Seek Grow Love 